Billionaire mining magnate Robert Friedland has been identified as the mystery buyer of a 2-acre bluffside estate in Carpinteria last fall for $46.9 million.
The founder of Vancouver-based Ivanhoe Mines and his wife, Darlene, bought the 9,400-square-foot mansion at 3165 Padaro Lane, according to the Robb Report. The sellers were Darren Entwistle, CEO of Telus, a Canadian telecommunications firm, and his wife Fiona.
The off-market deal was the biggest in Santa Barbara County last year.
The Entwistles bought the home in 2012 for $17 million. They initially listed it in June 2022 for $65 million, then shaved off $10 million a few months later before pulling it from the market.
The six-bedroom, nine-bathroom mansion, designed by Robert Earl, was built in 1994. Pajaro Lane, now among the most prestigious in Carpinteria, includes homes owned by Kevin Costner, Kourtney Kardashian, George Lucas, and Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis.
The home stands near the Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club, but on the beach side of the 101 Freeway rather than the inland side where the playing fields are.
In 2012, the Singapore-based Friedlands had the East Coast-style home renovated by the original builder Paul Franz, with architect Andy Neumann. It has an 800-square-foot guesthouse, plus a stand-alone garage for three cars, a gym and an infrared sauna.
The white-shingled, two-story mansion with black shutters looks across a bluff along the Pacific Ocean, with waves lapping on the beach west of Loon Point below.
Hidden away behind a gated driveway flanked by lawns lined with reflecting ponds, the gabled mansion greets visitors with a cobblestone motor court. Inside, the home has coffered ceilings, hardwood floors, Murano glass light fixtures and French doors that open up to gardens.
Highlights include a double-height foyer with a chandelier, wrought-iron staircase, formal living and dining rooms and a mahogany-paneled office with a fireplace and a green marble mantle.
A family room connects to a gourmet kitchen with marble slab counters, an eat-in island and top appliances, with a butler’s pantry and a breakfast nook, according to Robb.
Upstairs, a master bedroom with a recessed ceiling has a firelit sitting area, dual baths and walk-in closets and a covered balcony. The home has a games room, wine cellar and an office.
Outside, a private stone path leads past a viewing platform down to the beach.
The Friedlands own two side-by-side estates in Beverly Hills they bought in 2021 for $26 million. In late 2020, they paid $16 million for Zsa Zsa Gabor’s longtime Bel-Air mansion — then bulldozed it. They also own a blufftop villa in Phuket, Thailand, with three infinity pools, while their main residence is a luxury flat in Singapore.
In 2015, the couple sold a hilltop estate in Belvedere overlooking San Francisco Bay for a record-breaking $47.5 million.
— Dana Bartholomew